East Brunswick, NJ Noise Ordinances: Decibel Limits (2026)

Chapter 147 of the East Brunswick Township Code, amended entirely 4-22-13 by Ord. No. 13-12, is the Township's noise ordinance, and § 147-7 holds its numeric limits. No one can operate a source of sound on an industrial, commercial, public service, community service, residential, multi-use or multi-dwelling property, in a public or private right-of-way or in a public space, so that the level equals or exceeds the Table limits when measured at or within the real property line of the receiving property (§ 147-3 and § 147-7(A)).

Table I sets outdoor A-weighted limits. A receiving residential property, or the residential portion of a multi-use property, is held to 65 dB from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 50 dB from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. Commercial, public service and community service facilities, and the non-residential portion of a multi-use property, are held to 65 dB for 24 hours. Table II applies indoors: 55 dB from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and 40 dB from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. for residential receivers, and 55 dB for 24 hours for commercial receivers. Table II applies only when the source and the receptor are separated by a real property line and also share a common or abutting wall, floor or ceiling, or are on the same parcel of property. Table III adds octave band limits for center frequencies from 31.5 to 8000 Hz.

Under § 147-7(B), impulsive sound cannot equal or exceed 80 decibels between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. Between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., impulsive sound occurring less than four times in any hour is held to the same 80 decibels, and impulsive sound repeating four or more times in an hour is measured as continuous sound under Tables I and II.

Measurements follow N.J.A.C. 7:29-2 and, indoors, are taken at least three feet from any wall, floor or ceiling (§ 147-6). Only a certified Noise Control Officer uses a sound level meter; a Noise Control Investigator enforces the plainly audible and time-of-day sections (§ 147-5). Construction and demolition are exempt from Tables I, II and III except as § 147-9 provides (§ 147-4(C)).